Bonnet stuck - help

R

Rich-hill

Member
Morning all,


I am unable to open the bonnet.

Pulling the lever in car and it doesn't 'snick'.

I have removed the grills and sprayed the area with a lubricant, however this still hasn't done anything.

I'm unsure which parts to move on the catch to release it manually (have visions of squashing fingers)

Pulling on the cable it doesn't feel like it has snapped at all.


I only purchased yesterday - when looking under the bonnet before the sale it opened no problem.

Any ideas/help?
 
Have someone gently push on the bonnet as you pull the release. If that doesn't work, remove the grills to access the catch from below (grills are removed by gently pulling forward from the top corners) and push the catch over - its on a pivot (see borrowed pic from Cavey1638, but ignore the eye hook)

DSC00705_zps287e0c66.jpg


Its fairly common and usually due to gunk around the release catch and the cable - make sure you clean around there fully afterwards with a degreaser and use some oil/grease (not WD40!) - I use a oil with graphite added.
 
Yeah, I wondered what Gordon had to do with this :)
Hope it releases and also add some grease on the catches either side of the bonnet.
 
markeg said:
Have someone gently push on the bonnet as you pull the release. If that doesn't work, remove the grills to access the catch from below (gills are removed by gently pulling forward from the top corners) and push the catch over

Its fairly common and usually due to gunk around the release catch and the cable - make sure you clean around there fully afterwards with a degreaser and use some oil/grease (not WD40!) - I use a oil with graphite added.
Click to expand...


I have popped the grills out, but unsure which bits to try and push and pull. I will see if I can get someone to give me a hand.

Only got the car yesterday, it's #185!
 
Added a pic into my post now, you should be able to push the catch over from left to right if it's stubborn!

Nice to see another Alpina on the forum :thumbsup:
 
markeg said:
View from underneath....

image.jpeg

(reminds me to clean in there this weekend....... :oops: )
Click to expand...


I can feel the mechanism I believe, and I can feel the plastic 'thing' that the cable goes into.

Which part should I push/pull on? I assume a screw driver would be a better idea than my fingers!!
 
markeg said:
View from underneath....

image.jpeg

(reminds me to clean in there this weekend....... :oops: )
Click to expand...


I have had another bash but no success, are you able to show me which bit to push in which direction?

Nothing has budged :/
 
I've done a video of it moving, then locked, if it helps?

[youtube]YGw4K6tNez0[/youtube]

I also had a fiddle round in there, but cant feel anything in the back that allows for the release of the mechanism (other than the cable). The pivot catch (lock) moves easily; its the catch on the locking bar that doesn't appear to have any access other than fiddling around the bar with a (thin) screwdriver.

Have you tried having someone gently push down over the locking mechanism whilst you pull the bonnet release lever?
 
markeg said:
I've done a video of it moving, then locked, if it helps?

[youtube]YGw4K6tNez0[/youtube]

I also had a fiddle round in there, but cant feel anything in the back that allows for the release of the mechanism (other than the cable). The pivot catch (lock) moves easily; its the catch on the locking bar that doesn't appear to have any access other than fiddling around the bar with a (thin) screwdriver.

Have you tried having someone gently push down over the locking mechanism whilst you pull the bonnet release lever?
Click to expand...


That's helpful thank you, I can obviously now see the moving parts, just unsure on where to push to release.

No I haven't tried with someone else pushing yet as I'm on my own
 
I've been having this issue over the last few months I was convinced it was the lock sticking as at first it kept springing my bonnet back open when I was driving. Over time it got worse and I knew I had a track day coming last weekend where they check your car over before so I just got new parts from bmw dealer. There's 4 parts, the lock £25, 2 cables £12 each and the lever £5. I think because mine had been getting worse the cable had been abused and over stretched from the lever section, when I unscrewed the plastic pull lever inside the car it had all bits missing inside where it lines up with the mounting part to pull from so was damaged too. When looking at my lock there's the part the cable connects to which moves up and down which wasn't working well to reset the lock pin part. I literally did this job last Friday. Its a straight forward cable change and the lock just unbolts 2 on top and 2 through the support bar behind the grille you see. It tried to cheat and only get a new lock and the first section of cable but when connecting the two cables I could see an overlap of about 1cm so that's what was giving play and not working my lock to open. I had to go back to BMW on Monday and get the other section that goes to the lever inside the car. I will fit it on the weekend along with the new plastic lever part, fingers crossed it all works as its now all been replaced. So locking my bonnet for track day wasn't a problem anymore but opening it for them to check would be. On the day I did same as you popped the grille out, then the cable you can see is sort of seated on to that lock with say a 2mm gap in the plastic part of cable at the top which clips to the lock. The cable should push off the lock if you twist and push it towards the intercooler once its off just pull down on the cable the bonnet will release. Do the opposite to put it back on seat it and twist/pull it back towards you it will snap in place again. You could unbolt it and check if you want if your lock is working fully it may just be 1 of the 2 sections of cable that join to pull the lock. The cable may have come loose or snapped or just be overstretched from years over pulling. Hold up i'll get you part numbers
 
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT52-EUR-05-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_30i&diagId=41_1453

14. Lock
15. Cable inside car to lever
16. Cable to lock
18. plastic pull lever inside car

If you look in front of the windscreen bottle you will see a black plastic rectangle. Pop the clips back and you will see the mechanism that pulls the two cables together either side just unclips to replace. Being a twat that I am I wasted 20 mins taking the wheel off removing the arch trim looking for this part to later pop the bonnet and see it starring at me....lol

The diagrams on realoem aint the best but hope it helps
 
If you want a really easy fix without the need to change anything when the bonnet is open remove the rad plastic cover. You'll clearly see where the cable inner and sleeve come up vertically to the catch.

All you need do is bend the 2 prongs of the 'U' shaped support bracket that holds the sleeve, slightly downwards (i.e. away from the lock). Markegs picture shows the back of the bracket I'm referring to just above the bend in the cable. That takes up any slack that results from stretched cables.

Do the usual greasing and it'll be perfect from then on.

(Note this is for single centre catches but am sure the same logic will apply to the side catches on later models)

Separately if the bonnet is too high or low you can pull down the plastic trim on the eye on the bonnet 'loop' (missing on the photo posted earlier in this thread) and screw it in or out a turn at a time.
 
Both mine and a friends e85 3.0 2003 and 2005 have had this problem .
They were both fixed by one person pressing down on bonnet and slightly bouncing it (flat hands careful not to dent bonnet)
whilst the other person pulls the release catch inside the car.
As stated in previous posts would certainly try this first.
Also as stated above ensure its greased once open :thumbsup:
 
So having messed around this afternoon I have managed to get the bonnet open.


I had someone inside the car, and then I pressed gently up and down on the bonnet and it did release.

I then cleaned as best I could, and oiled, however putting the bonnet back down, it wouldn't release again??
Could it be the cable is now stretched too much?


At least I was able to unplug the bonnet sensor so the alarm won't keep going off.
 
yeah had to do that on my last E46 wit bonnet sensor it kept going off at night

did u read my earlier comments yesterday......????????

I had same problem it will be 1 of the 4 parts from looking at your picture it looks like it could be the front cable as it looks split to me around the plastic where its attached to the lock. I had a split the other end attached to lever inside when taking the plastic cover off and looking in the footwell this was causing some slack in the cable for me
 
goldbcfc said:
yeah had to do that on my last E46 wit bonnet sensor it kept going off at night

did u read my earlier comments yesterday......????????

I had same problem it will be 1 of the 4 parts from looking at your picture it looks like it could be the front cable as it looks split to me around the plastic where its attached to the lock. I had a split the other end attached to lever inside when taking the plastic cover off and looking in the footwell this was causing some slack in the cable for me
Click to expand...

The OP hasn't put any pics on lol
 
Rich-hill said:
I then cleaned as best I could, and oiled, however putting the bonnet back down, it wouldn't release again??
Could it be the cable is now stretched too much?
Click to expand...

Glad you got it open.
Have you read the posts by various people which lay out causes and various remedies from cable replacement to adjustment?
 
synthedup said:
goldbcfc said:
yeah had to do that on my last E46 wit bonnet sensor it kept going off at night

did u read my earlier comments yesterday......????????

I had same problem it will be 1 of the 4 parts from looking at your picture it looks like it could be the front cable as it looks split to me around the plastic where its attached to the lock. I had a split the other end attached to lever inside when taking the plastic cover off and looking in the footwell this was causing some slack in the cable for me
Click to expand...

The OP hasn't put any pics on lol
Click to expand...

my bad I thought that was their car
 
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